Supplementation of Yearling Steers Grazing Northern Great Plains Rangelands

Abstract

Growing yearling steers on summer rangelands as part of a cow-calf-yearling operation would allow producers to maximize forage utilization, and selling yearling steers when forage was in short supply would minimize potential genetic losses in the cow herd. A series of summer supplementation and intake studies were conducted from 1988-1992 to determine if weight gains of grazing yearling steers could be increased by supplemental energy (ground barley), phosphorus (P), or crude protein. Studies were conducted at 2 locations on pastures of approximately 51 ha each, which contained quite different mixtures of forage species. Forage P, crude protein and IVDOM levels were monitored throughout the grazing season. Supplementation results varied among years and between locations. There were significant (P < 0.14) location by treatment interactions in 1989 and 1990 because steers at the WEST location tended to respond more to supplementation than steers at the EAST location, but EAST location steers had the highest rates of gain. Providing supplements at gradually increasing rates produced results comparable to supplementing at a constant rate all summer. Supplemental crude protein showed no significant benefit, but crude protein levels in pasture forage were generally above steer requirements. Weight gains averaged over all 5 years were greater (P < 0.05) for steers supplemented with barley or barley and P, compared to unsupplemented control steers. The response to supplementation should be beneficial most years, but results may vary with the quantity and quality of available forage.

Corn distillers dried grains with solubles supplementation in a pasture-based beef production system

“…These results imply that there is no advantage to supplementing beyond the cattle requirement for UIP (Strauch et al, 2001) or CP (Karn, 2000). But CP supplementation is advantageous when forage does not meet the requirements for CP.…”

“…While protein supplementation may improve animal ADG, BCS, or BW when the concentration of CP is deficient in the forage, further improvement in ADG, BCS, or BW may require energy supplementation as well (Karn, 2000), especially when forage quality is low. observed that supplementation of beef steers grazing dormant native tallgrass prairie with corn and soybean meal (SBM) increased cattle average daily gain (ADG) over cattle that only received SBM supplementation.…”

“…For cattle grazing winter range, effects of additional protein or energy have been related to forage nutritive value and digestibility (Kartchner, 1981;Karn, 2000). High forage concentrations of energy and protein may reduce effects of supplemental protein or energy on cow forage DMI, DM digestibility, or cow ADG.…”

“…But CP supplementation is advantageous when forage does not meet the requirements for CP. When forage quality is high, supplementation of energy with or without protein may be of some benefit to increase animal gains (Karn, 2000).…”